Change Holiday Break to Christmas Break?

Once again one of our elected lawmakers has decided to spend his time and waste taxpayer money to file a bill that is of no value to his constituents. Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville has filed Senate Bill 1136 in Tallahassee. The bill would require all 67 school districts in Florida to call their December break “Christmas break” instead of “winter break”. Give me a break!
First of all, haven’t we been down this path several times? When I was in school we called it “Christmas break”. Then trying so hard not to offend non Christians we changed it to “holiday break”. I haven’t been able to document how many times we have flip-flopped on this topic but I suspect it has changed more than once. Here are my thoughts on the issue.
First, if you research how Christmas in America evolved and what it means to most people you will find that a majority of us believe that it is a season of giving for all faiths. The celebration of the birth of Christ belongs to the Christians but the acts of giving and good will are celebrated by all including non Christians. It’s a time to enjoy our family and friends and together generate hope for peace in our world.
Secondly, has anyone figured the cost to file a bill in the legislature? I couldn’t find an estimate anywhere but I would guess that the related expenses to create and pass a bill would be significant. We have elected these people to do a job for us, to help resolve the important issues that impact the citizens of our state. Wouldn’t it be better that me Wise spend this time on creating jobs or improving protecting our environment? As of 2009, the annual salary of a Florida senator was $174,000. We pay those salaries with our tax dollars so shouldn’t we have something to say about what these people do with our money? Let people call it what they want and stop wasting time and money.

Review of getannoyed.com

While trying to be creative on my next post I thought about "things that annoy me" as a topic. When I googled it I found that it was a popular topic. I started reading some of the postings on the many websites and found that is might be more entertaining to poke fun at what has already been posted. These are some selected from "getannoyed.com".

Drivers who don't use a turn signal.
(You must live in Florida)

People who drink directly out of the milk/orange juice container.
(You have never done that? BS!)

Couples who sit on the same side of the booth when there is no one on the other side. (You don't believe in true love)

Parents who bring their young kids to R rated films. (why do you care? They aren't your kids!)

People that don't use coasters. (Who cares, somebody is going to clean the table anyway)

People who blame anything but themselves for THEIR failure. (Purely objective, it's probably your fault anyway)

People who sit next to you on public transportation even when there are other seats available.(If you wear Mickey Mouse Ears and mumble they won't sit next to you.)

Going through the drive thru, then having to go back when they screw your order up. (It works better if you park your car and go inside and ask for a manager and rip him a new AH)

Roadmaps that aren't folded correctly. (Folded by who? Can't get it refolded eh?)

Finding a shoe and not finding its mate next to it (Your closet, Your problem)

People who are mean to animals. (Not just annoying, these people should be given the same treatment they give to the animals)

People who read the paper while driving.(This requires some talent, respect it!)

So many more but so little time!

Who Me?

We have watched it with Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Gary Hart and a multitude of others.
Now it's Dejevu with Herman Cain.

I'm trying to make sense of it all and I keep on coming up with only one answer.
POWER
Power is an anphrodisiac!
Power is money and money is success.
Individuals that have engaged in questionable practices at times in their political past seem to believe that they can overcome their histories or they can lie their way through the process.
It's sad to note that individuals seeking leadership roles for our country will do almost anything to get elected.
Do any of our politicians really care about us?

The Bill Clinton Syndrome and Politics in General

Is this a replay of Bill Clinton and Monica? Remember Gary Hart? How about Mark Sanford? Do you remember John Ensign who admitted to having an affair with a former campaign staffer, Cindy Hampton, from December 2007 to August 2008. Are we noticing a pattern here? Then there was Senator David Vitter using the services of a DC Madaam.

What is this all about?

Vitamin F

This post is courtesy of my friend mujel in LA.
Keep on wackin those skins bruther!

Vitamin F .............
I loved this and want to share it with you...
Why do I have a variety of friends who are all so different in character? How can I get along with them all? I think that each one helps to bring out a "different" part of me.
With one of them I am polite. I joke with another friend.
I sit down and talk about serious matters with one. With another I laugh a lot. I may have a coke with one. I listen to one friend's problems. Then I listen to another one's advice for me.
My friends are all like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When completed, they form a treasure box. A treasure of friends! They are my friends who understand me better than myself, who support me through good days and bad days. We all pray together and for each other.
Real Age doctors tell us that friends are good for our health. Dr. Oz calls them Vitamins F (for Friends) and counts the benefits of friends as essential to our well being. Research shows that people in strong social circles have less risk of depression and terminal strokes. If you enjoy Vitamins F constantly you can be up to 30 years younger than your real age. The warmth of friendship stops stress and even in your most intense moments it decreases the chance of a cardiac arrest or stroke by 50%.
I'm so happy that I have a stock of Vitamins F!
In summary, we should value our friends and keep in touch with them. We should try to see the funny side of things and laugh together, and pray for each other in the tough moments.
Thank you for being one of my Vitamins!

As I mature

You may have seen this already but here you go!




As I Mature
I've learned that you cannot make some love you.

All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just aholes.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others - they are way more screwed-up than you think.

I've learned that you can keep vomiting long after you think you're finished.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, unless we are celebrities.

I've learned that 99% of the time when something isn't working at your house, one of your kids did it.

I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon, and the all the less important ones just never go away.

I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better have a big w*lly or huge b**bs.

I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades, and there had better be a big pile of money to take its place!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Winging it

I don't usually try to do restaurant reviews but a when you find a really great wing place in the West Melbourne you need to shout it out.
I have been experiencing withdrawal since we moved from South Florida to Central Florida. Roosters in Margate is one of the better wing restaurants and our favorite place for wings. They had some of the wettest and tangiest wings in the area. We now live 200 miles north of Margate in Palm Bay which up until recently has had fewer choices for dining out. When I felt like winging it we usually ended up at Long Dogger's in West Melbourne. Their beer is always cold, I love the Hatteras Red, and the wings are good. That's the point, they are good, not great. Compared to Rooster's they are not wet enough and don't have enough of the tang that I love. The venue is extremely relaxed. I don't like sitting inside as it is more of a cave than a dining room, far too dark and dingy. The other choice is to sit outside in the heat and humidity. Sometimes that works but sometimes it's too hot and too wet.
Now we have Buffalo Wild Wings right across the street from Long Dogger's. I was a bit disappointed after hearing all the hype from friends and the media. The first day we tried to get in we were turned away. They weren't open to the public yet. I guess we could have read the sign out front that said "opening soon'. The next time we tried was on a Sunday around 5 PM. There was a 30 minute wait. The place was packed with people trying to get their names on the waiting list. We opted out and went to Charlie and Jakes and settled for some sub par wings. On Monday we tried Buffalo's again, This time for lunch. Bingo! We got right in without a wait. We ordered 2 glasses of cabernet and I thought we had hit another snag. The waiter said that they didn't stock cabernet at the bar and they would have to go to the wine storage room or something like that to get our drinks. I wondered why they didn't have a cab at the bar as it's a pretty popular choice. The waiter made ordering easy by explaining how the menu was organized. Made sense!
Our chips and salsa arrived quickly and a few minutes later 2 glasses of cab showed up. We were about halfway through the chips when the wings showed up.
I was happy to see that my request for wet wings was filled. There was ample sauce on the wings. Now for the taste test. Wow! Finally a really great plate of wings. I love the traditional buffalo sauce and this was as good as it gets. We really enjoyed the meal and we will be going back frequently.
It also helped that we had a coupon for 6 free wings. Out bill was under $20.
I'm signed up!

The Dark Side of College Football

Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky was fired this week after being charged with child molestation by a Pennsylvania State Grand Jury. Revered coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier were also fired by the PSU Board of Trustees after it became clear that neither could effectively carry out the duties of his position as a result of the Sandusky case. Penn State University is ranked among the top-fifteen public universities nationally and is considered to be one of America's Public Ivy universities, which recognizes top public research universities in the United States. The football program at PSU has been considered one of the most successful programs in the country bringing in millions of dollars in revenue for the school.
So why did officials at PSU choose to ignore the reports of Sandusky engaging in sex with underage boys? Why did They allow a sexual predator to continue to molest young children for 5 or 6 years after it was first reported to them?
It's all about the money. PSU chose the money over the children. While I am disturbed by the irresponsible actions of the demonstrators supporting Paterno I was totally disgusted with the lack of action taken by the university prior to the scandal. People knew about what happened and did nothing to prevent Sandusky from repeating his actions.
Universities are charged with educating our youth but they should also be a strong moral compass for them. PSU has let down it's students and their parents and everyone involved should be held accountable.

What is it About BMs?

What is it about BMs?
We all have them but few of us embrace them and few will discuss them. It's a fact of life that each and every one of us will encounter this natural process daily. So maybe it would be better if we all had a more positive attitude towards them. Most don't want anyone to know that they just left a "donation". They go to great measures to mask the evidence with deoderizor sprays that don't really work.
What's the big deal? A good BMshould be aromatic! You should look forward to your BM moment and enjoy it. Show us what you really are!
Be all that you can be!

Herd of Congress?

A Herd of cows A Flock of chickens
(thanks Viggy!)

The English language has some wonderfully anthropomorphic collective
nouns for the various groups of animals.

We are all familiar with a Herd of cows, a Flock of chickens, a School
of fish and a Gaggle of geese.

However, less widely known is a Pride of lions, a Murder of crows (as
well as their cousins the rooks and ravens), an Exaltation of doves and,
presumably because they look so wise, a Parliament of owls.

Now consider a group of Baboons. They are the loudest, most dangerous,
most obnoxious, most viciously aggressive and least intelligent of all
primates. And what is the proper collective noun for a group of
baboons? Believe it or not ....... a Congress!

I guess that pretty much explains the things that come out of
Washington!

What Bugs you?

Everyone has things that they don't like to do but you still have to do them. For instance, I really dislike having to get my income tax filed every year. Part of the reason is my filing system which is basically a pile of papers sitting on top of a storage box at home.
What about what you do on line? I don't like applying for anything as it takes to many screens and you have to select too many options.

Have you ever applied for one of those free offers online?
You click the "apply now" button and you are sent through 20 - 30 pages of other offers that you hae to opt in or out on before you get to your free stuff. There must be a way around that.
OMG I'm starting to sound like Andy Rooney!

What bugs you?
Leave a comment
What would you change if you could find a better way?

More From AppSumo

What Would Don Draper Say

111. Dear Don Draper, I have just about no confidence when it comes to approaching women and talking to them?
I’m not beholden to the Q&A format here, but this is a statement capped with a question mark. A mark that underlines your problem.

Slow down and practice privately. Start with the ‘question’ above: when you can conduct your correspondence with clarity of thought, translate. Don’t approach women. Just have something to say when something should be said—and only then. You can consider this something carefully, but don’t compose. A simple idea will do. With failure—honest failure—the lesson alters vision and vision becomes instinct, a means of navigating your way through any conversation.

My own vision has blurred lately. Betts says I need reading glasses

Why isn't Wall Street Bailing us out?

In 2008 Wall Street received a bailout to recover from catastrophic losses caused by sub-prime mortgages. The so-called "mother of all bailouts," transferred $700 billion taxpayer dollars to purchase the distressed assets of several failed financial institutions. Eventually the banks and the markets returned to a somewhat normal state.
Fast forward to 2011 and when the U.S. government is struggling to pay its bills and is facing default. The word on the street is that with the prime rate frozen at an all time low, lenders are sitting on their funds, bloated with cash while borrowers struggle to get funds to grow their businesses and help grow the economy.
Shouldn’t the American public expect some help from these lenders? All I am hearing is that we shouldn’t be raising taxes on the rich. That will hurt the economy. Who’s economy? It sounds like there is one for the rich and one for everyone else!

An Interesting Leadership Video from Derek Sivers

An interesting leadership video from Derek Sivers

check it out

http://sivers.org/ff

Let me know what you think......

Something for Free That's Really Worth Something

It's not very often that you have an opportunity to listen to really good advice coming directly from someone that is a huge success. Derek Sivers is a musician, techno-geek entrepreneur who recently sold his business, CD-Baby.com for $22 million. His initial investment was around $500. But I'll let him talk to you about that.

The really amazing part for me was how "AppSumo.com offered me an opportunity to experience Sivers' CD for free. Just go to AppSumo.com and click on "Deals", "Free Deals".

Also, check out sivers.org.

Let me know what you think.

AppSumo

S&P cuts U.S. Credit Rating

AP: S&P Cuts U.S. Credit Rating to AA+.

John Harwood from MSNBC says it will not effect our economy!

Let's see what happens!

Survey Says!....You are too old for us to care!

My wife and I took a cruise last year. It was very nice trip that I would be happy to give a positive review on. We received an online survey this week for the cruise. I clicked on the link and I was asked for my date of birth. Normally I would not give that information but I trust this cruise line having spent more than 4 vacations on board. When I entered my d.o.b. I was instantly transferred out of the survey to a another site that was pitching cruises.
What is up with that? Am I in an age bracket that doesn't merit opinions?

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests .”
- Patrick Henry -

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! Because the people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, before cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become law of the land...all because of public pressure.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.
Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. No Tenure - No Pension.
A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The founding fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Maybe it is time.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!

Patricia, Thanks for your contribution!

The Court of Pubic Opinion

The Court of Public Opinion

I am never disappointed by the ignorance of the American People -

For three years we were hammered with daily updates on the Casey Anthony murder trial. The deluge of information, interviews and opinions became a dull hum, background noise to other more important things going on the world such as the budget battle in Washington, the economic implosion in Greece and political revolt in the middle east.
Yet this murder case hummed along and finally went to trial.

I tried to be indifferent about it at first but my fascination with the law and the court eventually captured my attention.

Towards the end of the trial I started to watch some of the live courtroom coverage and quickly became hooked. I also acquired an opinion as to how the case would end.
It's easy to let that happen, almost a natural process.

I could see the prosecutions case unraveling slowly as they tried to make their points with no real hard evidence. They did not have enough to make me believe "beyond any reasonable doubt".
In my heart I felt that Casey was involved in something or did something that caused the death of her child but I could not say that there was no reasonable doubt that she did it.
Casey is getting out in a few days and I expect the next chapters to unfold. My guess is that 60% of the public believes she is guilty. They have found her guilty in the court of public opinion using mostly emotion and outrage over the death of a child to convict her. Her life going forward will undoubtedly be pure hell.
Even with my gut feeling that she is guilty of something, I still think our legal system worked. I believe it is still the best legal system in the world.
I think just about everyone could be found guilty of something in the court of public opinion. It's easy to convict someone else on circumstance and emotion but we should all ask ourselves how well would we fare in that situation? Are we so ignorant and ignorant to believe that we are smarter than the best legal system in the world?

The End Game

I can remember a time when our elected officials would use debate as tool to find common ground and ultimately agree on matters before them. The end game of that process was to continually improve the lives of constituents. The take away for the politician would be re-election.
Something has changed. Congress is no longer able to find enough common ground to keep the process moving forward, even when the stakes for the constituents are higher than ever.
I suspect that one side is using the "Party of No" philosophy to gain as much political gain as possible before ultimately agreeing. That's fine as long as we don't lose sight of the goal, approving a realistic budget before we default. I have no doubt that our country would suffer in some way if we are unable to meet the budget deadline. Anyone that denies this reality is uninformed. This is a crisis that must be resolved.

Our elected officials were sent to Washington by the voters to do a job for the American public yet all they can find to do is bicker about principles and ideas that have no direct bearing on the looming crisis before us.

Is the Congress willing to continue on a course that will undoubtedly lead to default?

On June 30th the State of Minnesota had to begin shutting down state services as they had no approved budget. All but the most critical Minnesota services will shut down for the first time since 2005, including state parks for the July 4 weekend.

Is this where Congress is taking our nation?

We have two and a half weeks to get this settled. If the congress refuses to it's job the only winners will be the people that don't like our country.
.
I remember what my father-in-law always said at election time. We should vote out every incumbent and vote in the newcomers. Don't let anyone get too comfortable in their position.
We need to let the politicians know that they are not getting the job done for the people.
Think about it!

Congress is running our country into a ditch!

Government Too much or too little?
I can remember a time when our elected officials would use debate as tool to find common ground and ultimately agree on matters before them. The end game of that process was to continually improve the lives of constituents. The take away for this political would be re-election.
Something has changed. Congress is no longer able to find enough common ground to keep the process moving forward, even when the stakes for the constituents are higher than ever. Our elected officials were sent to Washington by the voters to do a job for the American public yet all they seem to do is bicker about principles and ideas that have no direct bearing on the looming crisis before us.
Is the Congress willing to continue on a course that will undoubtedly lead to default?

On June 30th the State of Minnesota had to begin shutting down state services as legislature couldn not agree on a budget. All but the most critical Minnesota services will shut down for the first time since 2005, including state parks for the July 4 weekend.

Is this where Congress is taking our nation?

I remember what my father-in-law always said at election time. We should vote out every incumbant and vote in the newcomers. Don't let anyone get too comfortable in their position.
We need to let the politicians know that they are not getting the job done for the people.

Vote them ALL out in the next election and ekect someone who cares.

A Simple Solution -

I was watching some bobble heads on one of the news channels discuss where the budget should be cut. One side said it should come welfare and medicare. The other guys want the rich to pay higher taxes. I started thinking about how much we could cut if we enacted a 10% program. The first step would be to reduce the salary of every politician by 10% regardless of party or tenure. Next, reduce every state and federal budget by 10%.Finally, require every corporation making a profit to reinvest 10% of that profit into creating new jobs in the US.
I wonder if it could make a difference?

more weeners and Olbermans back!

GOFFSTOWN, N.H - June 13, 2011
The 7 Republicans interested in running for the party in the next presidential race squared off last night in New Hampshire. It was a two-hour affair where the participants primarily focused on attacking the policies of the incumbant president.
My problem with this is that not one of the participants was able to offer up a fresh solution to the issues that we face on the economy.
I don't care about boxers vs. briefs and I don't care about gay rights. I'm not gay and I don't believe that sexuality should be a political issue.
Talk to your Pastor or Rabbi about that stuff!
I want to know if I can retire and enjoy life. Can I afford to put 30 gallons of gas in my boat so I can take my family on a cruise on the ICW. I have worked hard all my life and I should be able to afford my retirement.

Too Many Weeners

Another politician is on his knees to beg forgiveness from his wife, family and his constituants. Weiner's downfall was using social media to conduct his affairs. He was caught sending a pictures of himself to and having an ongoing sexually charged relationship with Meagan Broussard, a 26-year-old single mother from Texas. Broussard claims she was simply participating in risque online chats -- as she has done with other men online.
No Doubt that Weiner is guilty of poor judgement. But why is Broussard now being considered a victim? She readily admits to participating in these online sexting jousts with others.

The reality is that Facebook, Twitter and other social media have made it fAR too easy for our imperfect culture to make mistakes in public.
The first rule is THINK before you press "send".

Update on Spa Rescue

05/12/11
I spoke to the local PD today. Looks like we may get the go ahead on criminal charges for these jerks!
Whoo Whoo
Points for the common man

Spa Rescue - Melbourne Fl - Don't use them!!!

Just a quick comment about a local business that I recently used. They are called Spa Rescue. Troy Lind came to my home and quoted me on a repair for our hot He charged us $50 for the service call. A few weeks later I called him and asked if he would order the part and get the repai started he said OK. He asked for $200 deposit which I gave him.
We haven't seen him since. The check has been cashed and his voice mailbox is full. I can't even leave him a message.
He has been reported to the local PD and we are hoping to get our money back.

Osama Killed

As I prepared for my morning workout on Monday morning I tuned into MSNBC to catch the headlines. Wow! Obama Bin Laden killed by Navy Seals in an early morning raid on a compound near Peshawar on 01 May 2011.
This was something that most Americans have prayed for since the Twin Towers were attacked on 9/11/2001.
I felt relieved, almost elated. After a while I thought a bit about why I felt good about this.
Was it revenge?
After a bit of introspect I realized that I felt relief that no more innocent people would be murdered by this madman. As easy as it is to feel satisfaction of vengance for his murderous acts I feel better that I know that he is no longer able to contribute to future attacks.

The Lunatic Fringe is now "Center"

I watched "Hardball" tonight.
I really like Chris Matthews format as he allows his guests to reveal the best or Worst of their politics. Pat Buchanan was part of the discussion this evening and yes he has jumped on the republican bandwagon about president Obama's lack of proof of citizenship. He also talked about not being able to find records of President Obamas schooling.

Then there's Donald Trump.
He talks about president Obamas missing documentation. Trump is declared himself a birther and is playing to the the Tea Party hoping for some press. Could this be hype for his television show?

Personally I think the republican party is really scared!

Donald Trump

I watched Meredith Vieira's interview with Donald Trump today.
When Meredith asked about his possible candidacy Trump rambled about being serious. "This is very serious time. I mean I always take things serious but I've never taken things serious like this. This is a very serious time in my life. I hate what is happening to the country. I wish I didn't have to do it......blah blah blah.......

Trump is sticking to his birther claims that President Obama is not a citizen of the US. He has no proof but has says "I have people looking into it for me". Here's another quote "I'm only interested in Libya if we get the oil". Hey, that's Donalds diplomacy style. Yeah, I want him dealing with leaders of foreign countries.

This guy is a joke. Yes a very rich joke but not even close to being a qualified candidate.

But wait a minute. According to the polls he's the number two republican candidate for president and he's number one with the Tea Party.

This is a very scary time for this country. I would almost welcome back Sarah Palin!

$193,000 annual salary

$193,000 annual salary. That's what Majority Leader John Boehner is paid each year. His personal net worth is estimated between 2.5 and $7 million dollars. Sen. Mitch McConnell Jr., Sen. Harry Reid, Sen. John McCain all pull about the same salary for their services. It's a fairly well paid group of individuals that represent us in the congress. The problem is they aren't getting the job done. Mr. Boehner has adopted the NO approach. It's a fairly simple doctrine, just say no to everything the other side suggests, even if it is something that his side wants and the american public needs. Now that's a reason to pay someone $200K per year!
I am personally sick of what these guys get away with. It's no longer a party issue as they are all pretty much guilty of doing the same thing. Do nothing while getting paid a salary that just about any american would be willing to work very hard for. It's time to cut the salaries of these people to $15,000 per year. If they are the great patriots they claim to be the money should not matter to them.